Tips on ski sunglasses

got a pair of cebe sports I bought from TK a couple of seasons ago...can't fault them..grip well and don't steam up as they have ventilated sides

I'm looking to buy Mrs W a new pair of sun bins for xmas, I think I might go for trenchers safety option :lol:

Ian Wickham wrote:I'm looking to buy Mrs W a new pair of sun bins for xmas, I think I might go for trenchers safety option :lol:

If you're buying sunglasses to use in snow and the mountains you probably want to look for glasses labelled as protecting "UV400", that means that they will block light at wavelengths shorter than 400nm. Some manufacturers define UVA starting at 380nm which is why claims of 100% UV protection need treating with some caution and why manufacturers are able to reasonably claim UV protection exceeding 100%.

Glasses made specifically for the mountains will also block light at the higher frequencies of the visible spectrum, that, along with the gap between 380nm and 400nm, is pretty important as it's the critical frequency range causing the condition ultraviolet keratitis more commonly known as snow blindness. To avoid ultraviolet keratitis you need glasses that block all UV light and about 90% of visible light. The standards EN172 and EN170 define testing and classification of lenses for UV protection and light transmission so using those scale numbers you can see the particular safety glasses mentioned previously do not appear to offer adequate protection for use in polar, snow or high altitude environments.

UV is more pronounced in polar regions or with altitude, as a rule of thumb UV intensity increases by around 13% for every 1000m gain in height, if you happen to ski around sea level in a non-polar region it's not a huge deal but personally it's something I would be concerned about, I live at high altitude and work at very high altitude / extreme altitude so I would personally prefer to use optics designed for that application, age is damaging enough to eyesight without exacerbating it.

Contact lens wearers may not know that it's possible to use lenses that provide protection in their own right, it's not a substitute for real glasses of course but the Accuvue's I wear nowadays offer 82% UVA and 97% UVB blocking, that's enough for short periods of exposure without other optics.

Oakleys with an iridium lens is always as safe choice-have had mine for over 7 years and use them for golf, skiing and general wear

did just buy a pair of raybans in livigno though but they are for posing.......

Thanks to all those that have posted. I guess it'll have to be a pair of Oakleys (assuming they fit OK of course).

A little tip from me about Oakley sunglasses, if you visit this site:
http://www.oakley-vault.co.uk/?gclid=CMCbuJyU254CFUoB4wodj3h4JA
(Don't really know if that's considered advertising - my apologies if so)
That site offers a wide range of Oakley goods for discount prices.
I got myself a pair of Oakley Half-Jackets (fire irridium lenses) for £80 in an outlet shop in York.. Then when I got home, checked the price of them on that website and what d'ya know.. £70!
Worth checking it out :)

Cheers Baillie, I'll give it a try.

ise wrote:. To avoid ultraviolet keratitis you need glasses that block all UV light and about 90% of visible light.

Thanks for that Ise, :D and nice to see you back. I had no idea that sunglasses for ski-ing blocked out so much of the visible light. It's amazing we can all see where we're going when we're wearing them!

I generally wear my ordinary reactolite prescription glasses, but I also have prescription dark glasses for ski-ing. I have no idea if they block out enough light to prevent me getting eye damage. Maybe I should check with my optician. I just assumed they'd be okay because I told him I was going to use them for ski-ing.

Ally